PSB, parkade demolition plan headed to council after committee approval

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This article was published 04/09/2018 (2590 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The city’s property and development committee has approved a plan to demolish the Public Safety Building and the adjacent parkade at a higher than expected cost.

That vote came at Tuesday’s committee meeting, where it was unanimously approved by Couns. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), Shawn Dobson (St. Charles) and Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

The approval at the committee level now paves the way for a future council vote on the matter.

“I think one thing to just put on the record is that it’s costing us $650,000 a year just to keep it mothballed. With this proceeding, we’re looking at transforming a pretty key part of our downtown,” Gerbasi said.

“It’s a pretty significant project. It’s costing us money to just sit there and we do have a plan with CentreVenture to turn it over to them for redevelopment opportunities.”

CentreVenture Development is an arms-length agency of the City of Winnipeg.

The new estimate for the demolition of both structures is set for $12.09 million, according to an administrative report submitted to Tuesday’s meeting.

That figure is up from a $10.7-million estimate presented to council in July 2017. And according to city administration, the new figure isn’t set in stone. The final cost could be anywhere from 20 per cent below to 30 per cent above the current $12-million estimate, according to city officials.

Council has set aside $1.63 million of the projected costs so far. It is likely the rest of the money will have to be borrowed, but city officials predict some funds could be recouped following the sale of the parkade land to private developers.

Pending council approval, the demolition would clear the way for redevelopment of the Public Safety Building in early 2020. Work on the project would begin by the end of this year, with the bulk of demolition taking place in 2019.

For more than 50 years, the Public Safety Building served as the downtown headquarters of the Winnipeg Police Service. In 2016, the WPS moved to the former Canada Post warehouse at 245 Smith St.

Since then, the PSB has sat empty. The parkade, meanwhile, was closed in 2012 due to structural concerns.

Both structures are on property that was gifted to the city in 1875 with the caveat that it remains in public use — although that stipulation doesn’t apply to the parkade land. That prevents the city from selling the land to private developers.

Redevelopment of the 2.4-acre site where the parkade stands, however, is slated for redevelopment under the name Market Lands. That project is being spearheaded by CentreVenture.

Public consultation on the proposed project began in January 2017. The current plan recommends a redevelopment with a mix of public, commercial and residential uses.

The proposed demolition of the former police headquarters has been contentious in some circles, with heritage and architecture advocates urging the city to preserve the building. Mayor Brian Bowman, however, has consistently been a proponent of demolition and redevelopment.

— With files from Aldo Santin

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe